Alabama WR Jameson Williams declares for NFL draft despite knee injury
Jameson Williams is moving on to the NFL.
The Alabama receiver announced on Thursday that he intends to declare for the NFL draft. The news comes on the heels of Williams suffering a serious knee injury in Alabama’s loss to Georgia in the College Football Playoff title game on Monday. According to multiple reports, Williams suffered a torn ACL.
Williams started his career at Ohio State and totaled 16 catches for 266 yards and three touchdowns in two seasons for the Buckeyes. After the 2020 season, Williams transferred to Alabama and made the most of his opportunity.
In his lone season with the Crimson Tide, Williams totaled 79 receptions for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Before his injury, the speedy 6-foot-2, 190-pound Williams was widely considered a first-round prospect. It remains to be seen how much his injury will affect his draft stock.
Williams wasn’t the only Alabama standout to declare for the draft on Thursday. Another expected first-rounder, tackle Evan Neal, also declared for the draft, as did defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis.
In Yahoo Sports’ Eric Edholm’s most-recent mock draft, he slotted Neal at No. 5 overall. Edholm projected Williams to go No. 26.
While both Williams and Neal were juniors, Mathis was a senior this year for the Tide but did have one more season of eligibility remaining. Mathis totaled 53 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and nine sacks this season.
